Azeri journalists sue Armenia

A group of Azerbaijani journalists, who became IDPs as a result of occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, bring a case before the European Court on Human Rights against Armenia.

In their claims, journalists Khalid Asif Kazimli, Khalid Valid Kazimov, Etibar Seyidagha, Seymur Verdizadeh, Mahabbat Orujiv, Aynur Elgunash, Sevil Hilalgizi, Samir Kazimli show that Armenia infringed their right to property, life, education and other rights and exposed them material and moral damage during the occupation of Karabakh regions around Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Province. One of the authors of the initiative Khalid Kazimli told APA that they have thought about it since early 2011: “We have postponed this initiative because of various reasons and above all and our doubt in the perspectives of this suit. But we knew that the corresponding claim of a group of Lachin residents was accepted by the European Court, we met once again and decided to realize the issue. The Armenian army burnt the houses, annihilated the property of everyone who signed this document. The committers of such crime can’t remain unpunished in the 21st century. Even if Armenia and Azerbaijan sign peaceful treaty tomorrow and our houses are rebuilt and returned to us, it is impossible to reimburse the privations, pangs that we faced beyond our homeland”.

The official complaint will be sent to the European Court soon. The journalists will ask the court to approve that Armenia infringed their right and occupied their lands. At the same time Armenia will be demanded to pay an indemnity. The petition is based on the article ¹1 (inviolability of property), ¹8 (personal privacy) ¹13 (right to fair trial) of the Protocol ¹1 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The complainants will also note that they were exposed to the discrimination (article ¹14). Chief of Media Right institute Rashid Hajili undertook the documentation work on the complaint of the journalists.


/APA/